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Dealing with E-mail Overload

Business & Tech Tips, Idaho 1 Response »

Jul 122010

I recently wrote a three part series of articles for the Idaho State Bar’s magazine regarding how to deal with e-mail overload:

Email Overload Part III – Hacking Your Own E-Mail, The Advocate (Official Publication of the Idaho State Bar), vol. 53, no. 6/7, p. 39-40 (June/July 2010).
Email Overload Part II – Dealing with Interruptions, The Advocate (Official Publication of the Idaho State Bar), vol. 53, no. 5, p. 49 (May 2010).
Email Overload Part I – Reducing Volume, The Advocate (Official Publication of the Idaho State Bar), vol. 53, no. 3, p. 42-43 (March 2010).

Let me know if you have any other tips for dealing with e-mail overload.

Boise Lawyer Spotlighted by 37 Signals

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Apr 232010

Boise Lawyer Chuck Petersen is spotlighted on 37 Signals Product blog today: Criminal Defense Lawyer Keeps Clients Informed with Basecamp, pointing to Chuck’s post: There’s a Message for Lawyers in REWORK.

Boise Meets TechStars

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Apr 082010

For my local readers, get out your calendars and add “TechStars” to your calendar on April 21st, 2010, at 6:00 pm, when Highway 12 Ventures has a special event at the Watercooler where David Cohen (founder of TechStars) and Andy Sack (Executive Director of TechStars Seattle) will be talking about TechStars. TechStars is “a mentorship-driven seed stage investment program” that has seen phenomenal success.

You can read more about it on the Highway 12 Ventures blog.

Book Review – The Way Toys Work

Historical & Interesting, Humor, Idaho, Info For Inventors Comments Off

Jan 172010

Most larger cities have a “children’s museum” where kids (and grown ups) can experience “hands on” science. Anything that teaches kids that science is cool is worth supporting!

Our local children’s museum is called the “Discovery Center of Idaho.” For about ten years now, I have provided free patent searches to the winners of the Discovery Center’s annual “Invent Idaho” science fair contest for elementary and middle school students. It has been a blast working with young kids that are so excited about inventing.

Through that participation, I have come to be a big fan of the Discovery Center’s Education Director, Woody Sobey (@twsobey). A few weeks ago, Woody mentioned that he had a book on toys called “The Way Toys Work: The Science Behind the Magic 8 Ball, Etch A Sketch, Boomerang, and More.” I immediately ordered it.

The book is amazing. In the book they take apart toys, deconstructing them for kids while explaining how they work. Additionally, most of the toys mentioned include figures from the actual patents for the toys. It is definitely something that most of my readers would enjoy reading, as well as giving away as a gift to their children/grandchildren/nieces/nephews.

Tech Tips from the Idaho Practical Skills Seminar

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Nov 122009

Here’s a link to my law practice management article in the November/December issue of The Advocate (the official publication of the Idaho State Bar) on “Technology Tips from the Idaho Practical Skills Seminar.”

Google Wave Tips and Tricks

Business & Tech Tips, Idaho 4 Responses »

Oct 222009

A group of my local (Boise) geek friends have been using Google Wave to share Google Wave tips and tricks with one another was we each kick Wave’s tires. Here are some of the most useful tips/tricks that have come out of that ongoing conversation:

1. The “Files” button in the lower right doesn’t work unless someone has already uploaded a file. The “Files” button is not used to upload files (yes, very illogical). To upload a file, you need to click on the paperclip icon. Note: you can’t see the paperclip icon until after you start a new reply or are otherwise in “edit mode.”

Google Wave paperclip button

2. If you add an image (Tip 1 above), a separate button for Images shows up next to the Files button. Perhaps the Files button shouldn’t be visible until after there is at least one file…

3. The first line of the first message (aka “blip”) you type in a wave…becomes the title of the wave. Having a nonsensical wave title is frustrating when you are looking for a wave amongst a list of waves. Yes, you can go back and edit the first blip to make a better title.

4. In a “wave” you’ll have a number of threaded conversations. Each conversation is a “wavelet.” Each message in a wavelet is a “blip.” See this Mashable post for a more thorough explanation.

Capture10-22-2009-7.55.33 PM

5. If you push the “Reply” button in the upper toolbar, you start a new wavelet. .

6. If you mouse over the bottom of a wavelet window that no one else has responded to, you receive the option of “Continue this thread.”

Capture10-22-2009-7.58.27 PM 7. If you mouse over the junction between the two blips in the wavelet, you receive the option of “insert reply here.”

Capture10-22-2009-7.58.57 PM

8. If you double click in the middle of a blip you can insert an inline reply.

Capture10-22-2009-8.04.35 PM

Capture10-22-2009-8.04.51 PM

I’m sure those tips are just the tip of the iceberg…

Update: A video worth watching:

Ten Things Every Designer Needs to Know about Copyrights and Trademarks

Business & Tech Tips, Idaho, Info For Inventors, IP Law Practice 6 Responses »

Aug 192009

I’m speaking tomorrow for AIGA Idaho on “Ten Things Every Designer Needs to Know about Copyrights and Trademarks.” Details can be found on the AIGA Idaho website.

I’ll be using this post as my “show notes”…a listing of links I think the presentation’s attendees (design professionals, graphic artists) will find useful.

Copyright: Sample Forms and Strategies for Registering your Online Content – http://www.seomoz.org/blog/copyright-sample-forms-and-strategies-for-registering-your-online-content-3962
The UT System Crash Course in Copyright – http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/cprtindx.htm
The Copyright Law and Litigation Resource – http://kasunic.com/
Internet Cases » A guide to registering the copyright in your blog (http://blog.internetcases.com/2008/04/29/helpful-guide-to-registering-copyright-in-your-blog)
Blog Law » 12 Important U.S. Laws Every Blogger Needs to Know – http://www.avivadirectory.com/blogger-law
EFF: Bloggers FAQ — Intellectual Property – http://www.eff.org/bloggers/lg/faq-ip.php
Legal Rights of Photographers – http://www.kantor.com/blog/2005/12/legal_rights_of_photographers.html
Excellent law blog on copyright & photographers: http://www.photoattorney.com/
Copyright Office Circular on How to Investigate the Copyright Status of a Work – http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ22.html
How to Find Copyright Owners – http://www.masters.edu/DeptPageNew.asp?PageID=1993
Flow chart to determine copyright durations – http://www.sunsteinlaw.com/practices/copyright-portfolio-development/copyright-durations.html
Center for Social Media (American University School of Communication) website on: Fair Use and Online Video (http://centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/online_video) and Fair Use Resources (http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/fair_use).
Chilling Effects on creating derivative works: http://chillingeffects.org/derivative/faq.cgi
Previous Invent Blog posts on Copyright: http://inventblog.com/?s=copyright
Tool to help search the Internet for images that infringe your copyrighted work: http://inventblog.com/2009/03/tineye-reverse-image-search.html
The Statue of Liberty design patent – http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=6esWAAAAEBAJ&dq=D11023
Copyright Office Circular on copyright and slogans/short phrases – http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ34.pdf
Copyright length and the life of Mickey Mouse – http://techdirt.com/articles/20090811/0123105835.shtml
Legal Pitfalls in Taking or Using Photographs of Copyright Material, Trademarks and People – http://www.wipo.int/sme/en/documents/ip_photography.htm

My Trike Show interview

Business & Tech Tips, Idaho, IP Law Practice Comments Off

Aug 102009

I was recently honored by branding/marketing gurus Justin Foster and Johnathan Hardesty of Tricycle Consulting by being asked to be a guest on their podcast (“The Trike Show”). On the podcast we talked about trademarks, branding, blogging and social media (as it applies to “professionals” (such as lawyers).

The audio can be found here: Trike Show Podcast.

By the way, Johnathan designed my non-work “calling cards,” as well as my Twitter background and J. Matt Buchanan’s Twitter background. [BTW that is not an advertisement, but a personal recommendation...he does great work!]

Patents per capita and Idaho

Historical & Interesting, Idaho Comments Off

Aug 032009

One statistic I get tired of hearing is how data shows (showed?) that Idaho is (was) #1 per capita for patents and Boise is (was) #2 per capita for patents. The reality is those numbers are (were) greatly skewed by Micron Technology and Hewlett-Packard both having facilities in town. Those two entities account for 75%+ of the Idaho patents since 1984.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not bad mouthing Idaho inventors. Instead, I’m criticizing those (typically in government) that pound on their chests like Tarzan, bragging about this statistic, trying to make it mean something it doesn’t.

A local friend of mine, Chris Blanchard, recently wrote a post on this exact topic: Blanchard v. Florida: Why Patents per Capita is a Poor Economic Indicator. In that post he takes issue with portions of Richard Florida’s book The Rise of the Creative Class. Chris’ post is worth reading too…

Book Recommendation for Entrepreneurs: ONO | Options Not Obligations by Marc Warnke

Business & Tech Tips, Idaho, Info For Inventors Comments Off

Apr 222009

Book recommendation: ONO – Options Not Obligations by Marc Warnke (@marcwarnke on Twitter).

I’m about 1/2 way through it, and it is a great one. I’ve added it to my “must read” book for entrepreneurs.

It is similar to Farris’ Four Hour Workweek, but Warnke’s focus is more on building income so you can spend time with your family (instead of building income so you can travel the world). What I really like about the book is how it lays out a “how to” guide to getting your finances in order, something that most entrepreneurial books overlook (they tend to presume that people know what to do first, second, etc.).

I actually ordered a handful of copies this morning…to give to colleagues/friends. It is that good.

Amazon.com link: ONO – Options Not Obligations. Link to Marc’s website: Onobook.com.

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